


Cliche

by KyryeDuBarie



Series: Kurotsukki Med!AU [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: 2020, Alternate Universe - Medical, Day 4 - Nursing care, Fluff, Krtsk Week 2020, KuroTsuki Week, M/M, Medical Procedures, Saeko is a queen and we stan her, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:53:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25545448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KyryeDuBarie/pseuds/KyryeDuBarie
Summary: God, he’s a stereotype right out of some soap opera.----Or, Kei gets surgery and discovers that he really doesn't need morphine in his life.And Kuroo is along for the ride.
Relationships: Kuroo Tetsurou/Tsukishima Kei, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Series: Kurotsukki Med!AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1851001
Comments: 15
Kudos: 179





	Cliche

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I almost missed Kurotsuki week, lol, but looking at the prompts this morning gave me this idea, and since I had been wanting to continue this series... well here we are. (I'm like an hour late for the prompt tho)  
> I think I may have found a new passion in writing hospital settings lol  
> And I kinda wanna write the AkiSae this implies now.  
> Also, this is totally inspired n that Grey's episode, you know which one.

So Kei never thought he would fulfill this particular hospital cliche.

After all, Pathologists rarely have a reason to be up in the hospitalization floors, and especially to be in the on-call rooms. 

God, he’s a stereotype right out of some soap opera.

But then Kuroo’s hands are so good, his hands and his mouth and _oh_ , he makes Kei more than a little crazy and hungry for the man and what he can do to his body. Which, of course, leads to him here, clutching on to the metal bar at the head of the bunk bed, getting any shame he ever felt about doing this fucked right out.

The bed is too short, the bunk not high enough, Kuroo is bent over him possessively, littering the back of Kei’s shoulders with bruising bites while all Kei can do is hold on and try not to moan too loud.

“Still think you’re above this Shortcake?” The man growls in his ear thrusts hitting Kei’s prostate dead-on. “I think you’re liking it a bit too much, don’t you think your attending will notice that you have a limp?”

“Oh f-fuck you.” Is all Kei can answer, feeling the coil of heat in his lower belly become tighter. “Keep-ah that up and I won't-“ God, Kuroo knows how to work him, always has, since that night when they started this, a whole month ago now. And Kei’s not going to complain, it’s fun, the man has made him pass out from coming too much, and it’s completely stress-free and commitment-free.

Kuroo snorts into the place where Kei’s shoulder meets his neck, his hand comes down to stroke Kei and he is so wound up that just that is enough to make him arch into the man, hips bucking wildly. “Don’t believe you… you like me too much.” Kuroo bites hard then, grunting his release. “Like you…too much.”

That last comment goes unanswered, Kei still coming down from his high. After a couple of seconds, he pushes Kuroo to the side. ”You’re heavy, Kuroo.” He complains. “I can’t believe you have the energy for this after a night shift.”

“I plan to go home, eat a fuckton of cereal and die.” Kuroo pants beside him. “Can’t believe you wanna do it right before you have to be processing samples for a whole day.”

“It’s not like it’s particularly taxing.” Kei huffs, kicking off the sheets that are tangled with his leg. “It’s too hot, doesn’t this hospital have AC? It’s always freezing downstairs.”

“That’s the morning sun, you heathen and it’s amazing.” Kuroo laughs. “I spent five hours on a malignant intestinal obstruction last night, and the OR’s are freezing.”

Kei snickers, propping himself up, trying to spot his crocs. “Right, go home, you're starting to say weird stuff…”

Kuroo lifts off the bed too, nuzzling Kei’s shoulder, hand rubbing over his arm. “Hey! Just because you like to be deep down there with no sunlight doesn’t mean…” His hand turns over on Kei’s arm and then moves to his forehead. “Do you feel fine?” he asks. “You’re kinda warm.”

“Well...” Kei flushes, gesturing at… well, them. Half naked an panting, it’s not like he's an athlete or something, nothing weird with him being a bit flushed. “I feel fine.” He finishes lamely.

Kuroo hums, as he watches Kei sit up and begin pulling his scrubs and underwear up his long legs. “Take care, ok? I'll text you tonight.”

“Ok.” Kei echoes, but really, he feels fine.

.

.

A tray lands beside Kei’s laden with a lot more food that he thinks he will ever be able to consume in one sitting.

Of course, it’s Tadashi, who shoots him a sly look. “So I heard someone got up early today.” He snickers, as Kei’s face flushes. “Oh, Tsukki you know I always find out.”

“There was no one in the hallway, I checked!” Kei defends as he pushes the food around on his plate. The steamed chicken and potato salad look even less appetizing today than they usually do, but he knows he has to eat, he skipped breakfast and now his gastritis is acting up in retaliation.

“Maybe when you went out.” Tadashi smiles. “Don’t worry, no one knows it’s you, and it’s kind of expected for Kuroo-san, you know his department has a reputation.”

“So how did you know it was me?” Kei answers, forcing himself to bring a forkful of salad to his lips and swallow it. “Are you psychic now?”

“There are only so many blond’s over six feet here Tsukki,” Tadashi says dryly. “We’re in Japan. Besides, who else would he be sleeping with? I don’t even know where he gets the time, Nekomata generally tuns his residents to the ground.”

Well, Tadashi would know, he has been in charge of the oncology floor for almost a year now. “Really?” Kei is no fool, he catches the shadows under Kuroo’s eyes and the way the man sometimes passes out for hours in his bed, or couch, whatever… But then, he seems to handle it nicely enough.

“I saw one drop like twenty pounds in that rotation,” Tadashi whispers. “There was another who kind of lived in the on-call rooms, had one of those little fridges and everything, even if he has softened up a bit lately Nekomata is _very_ old-school.”

Kei hums, glaring down at the food on his plate, it doesn’t seem to end, god so annoying. “Do you think I should stop? It’s going to be annoying if all these rumors start to appear.”

Tadashi rolls his eyes. “Tsukki, don’t be ridiculous.” He starts. “By this afternoon Daishou will probably have broken up with Aoi from the MI floor and they are going to forget about it.”

One of Kei’s eyebrows rises. “How do you know? “

“He always breaks up with them on Fridays,” Tadashi says, matter of factly. “It’s like how Oikawa and Iwaizumi-san from sports always fight in May and get back together in July.”

“That’s scary.” Kei grimaces, stabbing at his chicken.

Tadashi sighs. “Three years and running.” He says, shoveling food into his mouth. “But that’s it, don’t worry, no one cares. Even that mess with the bet table a few years ago blew over.”

“The what?” Kei asks, glad for an excuse to look up from the food, his stomach hurts.

His best friend shrugs. “I wasn’t here yet, so I don’t know too well… The surgical departments were betting on hookups or something.” He glares down at Kei’s still mostly full plate. “Are you ok? You’ve barely eaten Tsukki.”

Kei looks down at the plate, the chicken is torn beyond recognition. “It’s- I have a stomachache, since this morning actually, I skipped breakfast.”

“Tsukki!” Tadashi reprimands. “I know you like Kuroo but-“

“I do not like Kuroo.” Kei counters petulantly, but with no heat, and he knows that Tadashi knows he doesn't mean that. “And I had plenty of time after, I just got sidetracked with an article.”

“You little-“ Tadashi grimaces. “Try to eat something. I’m on call this whole weekend, I’m not going to be able to bring you food.”

“Yes, mom,” Kei says, turning back to the dish.

But he barely manages two more bites.

.

.

By the time five pm rolls up, Kei feels a lot worse, his stomach still hurts and he wants to puke even though he hasn’t eaten much today in the first place.

“Tsukishima-kun, are you alright?” Takeda, his attending and probably the best boss Kei has ever had -not that he would ever tell him that- is looking at him, concerned. “You look flushed.”

Kei lifts a hand to his face, he doesn’t feel particularly hot, in fact, he has been freezing since he came back form lunch, even wearing his sweater under his lab coat, exposing it to some reactive falling on it and ruining the wool. “I’m fine.” He lies.

“Are you sure?” Takeda asks, he removes one of his gloves and walks to Kei.

If he wasn’t holding a jar with a piece of the colon in it he would have dodged, as it is, Takeda reaches up to press his hand to Kei’s cheek and his eyes widen. “You're burning up.” He says. “It’s a Friday anyway I’ll finish up, go home and take some Ibuprofen.”

“But I-” Kei protests, though he really does want to go home to curl up with Rex and hope it’s not the flu.

Takeda tut at him. “No excuses, I know some people think residents should be here even if they are dying but I’m not one of them. Text the group if you feel worse.”

And very, very deep inside, Kei is grateful.

.

.

He does feel worse.

The first thing he does after he gets home is empty the contents of his stomach -mostly bile- in the toilet bowl before bundling himself up in like four sweaters. Before passing out on his bed.

When he wakes up the pain, which initially was on the upper-middle part of his abdomen has shifted to his right side and it hurts more every time Kei breathes in too deeply.

God.

It can’t be.

But it probably is.

He _really_ doesn’t want to go to the hospital.

Maybe he’s just hazy from the pain and the fever.

His phone vibrates in the nightstand, Kei barely remembers putting it there, he groans, blinking at the name on the screen and the hour above it -it’s eleven pm-, well, if anyone is going to know…

“Kuroo.” Kei groans not the phone.

“Tsukki! Hey.” The man’s voice comes from the other end. “You sound weird, are you alright?”

“I think I have appendicitis,” he says though it's more of a continuous roan than actual words.

There’s a moment of silence. “What?”

“I think.” Kei enunciates, starting to feel lightheaded. “That I have appendicitis, the uh- that scale.”

“The Alvarado?” Kuroo asks, and Kei hears a door closing on his end. 

“Yeah that, I have that, all of it.” Kei grunts, turning on his left side and trying to reach the glass of water on his nightstand. "Except for, y'know, the cell counts."

Kuroo sighs. “Where are you?”

.

.

“Ow!” Tsukishima’s face is flushed, his hair matted with sweat. Tetsuro releases the pressure on his abdomen. “OW!” 

So, Tsukki almost definitely has appendicitis.

“Why didn’t you call me earlier?” Tetsuro asks, pulling down the sweater. “Where’s your acetaminophen?”

Tsukishima rolls into his side, shivering and looking miserable. “I thought I just had the flu, and I don’t have any, I took the last one when I came home and then puked.”

Tetsuro sighs, at least they’re heading to the hospital anyway, Tsukishima can get something for the fever before they get him in the OR. “C’mon Shortcake.” He says, offering the man his hand. “I’m taking you to the hospital.”

“I hate hospitals,” Tsukishima grumbles, but he takes Tetsuro’s hand and pulls himself up. “My overnight bag is under the bed.”

Tetsuro chuckles and leans down to pick up the back with his other hand. “You're literally a resident.”

“I still hate being a patient.” Tsukishima pouts, leaning into Tetsuro. “Can you check if Rex has food?”

“I checked when I came in. “Kuroo responds, noting how feverish the other is, the plate was full, probably just filled when Tsukishima came home. “

“Mmm ok.” This pouty, out of it Tsukishima isn’t nice to look at. Tetsuro is more worried every time, but at least it has been less than twelve hours since the pain began, he helps Tsukishima down to his car and lays him down on the back seat.

“There are puke bags in the pockets.” He warns, to which Tsukishima gives an offended squeak as they set out. 

The ER is, thankfully, mostly empty, and as soon as they have Tsukishima checked in Tetsuro pulls up the night shift roster to check on who is in for the night.

And _of course_ it’s Daishou.

_**TO: SNAKE-FACE 23:47** _

_Hey, you in the OR?_

_One of my friends has appendicitis._

_We’re in the ER, already checked in._

_Name’s Tsukishima Kei._

Daishou is a lazy bastard, but he wastes no time to run down, doesn’t even bother to answer Tetsuro’s messages. Which is kind of good, because he’s not in the mood for antagonizing him over text and it gives Tetsuro time to charm the lab assistant into processing Tsukishima’s blood samples first out of all the pending ones.

He shoves the results at Daishou as soon as the other comes in Tsukishima’s cubicle. “So this is the one I heard you were doing in the on-call room in the morning?” He asks, a wide smirk on his face. “You always get the pretty ones Kuroo, you really shouldn’t have stopped betting.”

Tetsuro stiffens and glances at Tsukishima, who is sleeping fitfully. He wants to lash out at Daishou a bit. He _knows_ that’s something Tetsuro hates remembering, but seeing as he's not on call tonight, he might as well make sure things go smoothly. “Shut up.”

Daishou rolls his eyes. “Well, I might as well confirm your diagnosis.” He spits and reaches for Tsukishima’s leg. “Hello.” He says, smirking widely at Tsukishima’s bleary gaze. “I’m Daishou from GS, I’m going to examine you now Tsukishima.”

The blond groans, but turns over on his back obediently. “Was before not eno- OW! Stop doing that when I’m not ready!”

The green-hired man grins. “Feisty.” He hisses. “Kuroo has _always_ liked the feisty ones.” The emphasis on the word is not lost in Tetsuro or Tsukishima, who glares at the man. “When was the last time you ate?”

“Midday. Are you done?” And for all his current state, Tetsuro feels like Tsukishima might just leap at Daishou.

“Oh, yes, you’re getting surgery in like an hour. “ He winks as he passes Tsukishima a consent form that the blond quickly signs, and the exits the room, gaze shifting between the two of them -Tetsuro can't help but feel a bit smug that the man brought the consent form with him anyways- “I’ll make the nurses give you something for the pain.”

Tetsuro sighs as Tsukishima tuns on his side again, back stubbornly turned towards him, and something tells Tetsuro that the man wasn't all that asleep when Daishou came in. He rises from the chair he’s been sitting on. “I’ll go see if I can make it any faster.”

Tsukishima doesn’t say anything, and as Tetsuro walks over to the ORs he has to take a few deep breaths to make his heart calm down. He knows it’s not that serious a situation now that they are here and the night surgeon is apparently not busy.

Still, he can’t really swallow the worry that has been filling him since he first called Tsukishima, and the impotence of seeing the man like this and not being able to do much -and Daishou is going to be the one on the surgery. Ugh, it’s not that he’s bad, but Tetsuro has his reasons to dislike him and that’s that-.

Also, it kind of hurts that Tsukishima didn’t call him before.

He mulls on that as he waits for the OR assistant to give him an uniform.

.

.

Kei is floating.

Whatever they gave him for the pain is the good stuff.

He doesn’t even mind as he’s being wheeled up in an elevator and then into one of the preparation rooms. “Hey, do you know Yamaguchi?” He asks the little blond nurse that wheels him up. She looks familiar but Kei can’t place her, her face is blurry anyways.

She giggles. “They are not going to believe this.” The girl clears her throat. “Tsukishima, we went to school together.” She says more professionally.

“Kyo-Yachi!” Kei smiles, stretching out his arms, he vaguely remembers her working here to but their paths don’t cross much since she works in the OR. “Hey, Yachi.” Kei says and laughs.

Everything's funny, for some reason.

Yachi laughs along, and it sounds like a bunch of little bells. “I’ll call Yamaguchi-kun, don’t worry.” She says as a group of people come in wearing OR scrubs. The one walking at the front is a blond woman -or she looks blond from the few little hairs escaping from under the surgical cap- with sharp eyes, the other is that guy with the reptile-like face from downstairs that Kei, and the next-

The hottest man Kei has seen. And fucked. 

He laughs. “Kuroo.” Kei calls arms rising again though he hits his elbow on the gurney’s railing, it doesn't really hurt, thankfully.

The woman’s eyebrow rise. “This a friend of yours Kuroo?”

“Uh-yeah.” The mn blinks at him, perplexed.

The one with the reptile-face turns to bow mockingly at the woman. “My apologies Tanaka-sensei, he was in a lot of pain, I asked for the nurses to give him some morphine downstairs.”

She laughs. “Well, that explains it.” She turns to Kei. “I hope you remember this, but I guess Kuroo can explain to you if you don’t. My name is Tanaka Saeko, I’m your surgeon, the green one.” She points at reptile-face. “Is Daishou, he’s my third-year resident and will be performing your surgery. I will be there to take over in case any complications arise, you don't have to worry.”

Kei looks between them, disappointed and a little on edge, he doesn't remember why he thinks so right now, but reptile-face is mean. “But… Kuroo.” He looks pleadingly at the dark-haired man. “Why can’t Tets- Kuroo- he has seen-“

Kuroo rushes to him then, shooting Kei a loaded look with his pretty, pretty brown eyes and laying his hand on Kei’s shoulder. “I’m not on call Tsukishima.” He says slowly, and then like it pains him. “Daishou’s good, he has done this a lot of times and he can do yours.”

“You don’t sound convinced.” Kei frowns and looks around Kuroo at the surgeon. “He doesn’t look sure, I don’t want to!”

The surgeon cackles and turns to the green-haired man. “ _This_ is why I tell you to use other analgesics first. He was about to come into surgery, c'mon Daishou.” She doesn’t look mad, just amused. “I understand you two like to inconvenience each other, but well… you heard the patient.” She turns to Kuroo. “You haven’t had anything to drink right?”

Kuroo swallows. “No ma’am.”

“Good, you’re doing the surgery.” She says, and then skips merrily out of a door like some sort of terrifying fairy/surgeon/something.

“She’s awesome,” Kei says, mostly without meaning to, even as Kuroo turns his handsome face around to fix him with a confused look.

“Well, now I know we shouldn’t give you more morphine unless we _really_ have to.” He glares at snake-face and Kei mentally cheers for him. “Your fault.”

“Hey, I don’t mind.” The man hisses, turning around and Kei figures he really does mind, otherwise he’s just ver dramatic. “Shouldn’t you be trying to talk to her? He _is_ your boyfriend.”

“I’m not.” Kei protests from the gurney, though it doesn’t feel all true. “I think? Am I?” He does boyfriend stuff with Kuroo, and Kuroo is _hot,_ it's not a stretch.

Kuroo groans and then runs after the surgeon.

.

.

The next time Kei remembers waking up the world is all blurry, he feels nice.

There’s a hand carding slowly through his hair. “Shhh, sleep shortcake.”

So he turns on his side, nuzzles the hand, and does just that.

.

.

The next time there are voices, a very familiar one actually.

“-shima Kei, twenty-five, a pathology resident at this hospital. Appendectomy post-op with findings of a non-perforated appendix.” The man is saying, face all but hidden behind a chart. “Tanaka-sensei performed the surgery.”

The surgeon from last night is beside him, she bursts into laughter, laying a hand on Kuroo’s shoulder. “Just a little resident quarrel Ukai, don’t worry, I was itching to get my hands dirty.”

An older man on Kuroo’s other side sighs. “Alright.” He says.

“Kuroo?” Kei croaks, dizzy and confused, his mouth feels dry. A soft hand lands on Kei’s arm and he turns around to find golden eyes on a face too much like his own. “Aki-nii?”

“You had surgery Kei, remember?” his brother reminds him, and Kei does feel some pain in his lower belly now that he thinks of it.

In front of them, Kuroo clears his throat. “He has had a strong reaction to opioids since before the surgery, _someone_ queued up a post-op dose…” he says, glaring at something beyond the white curtain to Kei’s side. “But we’ve since suspended it.”

The older man’s eyebrows rise. “Take off his bandages, if he can eat without puking he can go home after lunch.”

And then they’re gone.

The blond woman- Tanaka? Lingers, she shoots his brother a meaningful glance. “Make sure he eats.” Then she winks at Akiteru and is promptly gone as well.

 _What_?

Kei grimaces, feeling a pang of hunger course through him at the mention of food, he barely ate anything yesterday. Akiteru -bless his heart- pushes a tray with a bowl of soup towards him, and Kei wolfs it down, even though he’s still feeling a little nauseous.

Only then does he remember what Kuroo said. “Wait, what did he mean a strong reaction to opiates?” he asks, and Akiteru grimaces, turning his phone over in his hands.

Kei doesn’t like where this is heading, he had never needed a surgery before this, so he really has no idea what he might've done.

“Oh, your surgeon said that you said some inappropriate things.” His brother turns his face away, cheeks flushing. “and then when you first woke up you wouldn't let go of the resident, you know, the one with the bedhead. You were... loud.“

Kei wants to scream.

.

.

Tetsuro isn’t all that sure what he’s doing here.

Here being, standing in front of Tsukishima Kei’s door with a bag full of takeout from that Italian place the blond likes.

Although then again, maybe he does.

There are _things_ they need to talk about.

-namely the fact that while in a haze of morphine Tsukishima kind of ended up outing their not-quite-relationship to one of his bosses and the most annoying asshole in Tetsuro’s life at the moment-

-at least it was Saeko-sensei, she’s cool-

It’s not that he’s mad, it all just happened very fast, and Tetsuro really has no idea how much of that was the morphine talking and how much it was Tsukishima's own well-hidden feelings.

And he’s kind of terrified either way.

The door opens suddenly and he jumps back, did Tsukishima somehow see him? But the one that comes out is the older brother -Akiteru, he remembers, he made a _strong_ impression on Saeko, that’s for sure- with reddened cheeks and a backpack on his shoulders.

“Oh, hi.” The man says, looking as nervous as Tetsuro feels.

“Hi,” Tetsuro says, feeling silly. “I- takeout?”

Akiteru looks down at the takeout bag. “Good, he said he was going to order in, but knowing Kei…”

“He’ll fall asleep.” They say at the same time and Tetsuro laughs, relieved. “Did- does he know about-?” Tetsuro gestures around himself, much as Tsukishima did last night.

“Only what I know?” Akiteru shrugs. “He’s embarrassed. He told me about you two, by the way, not that I couldn't guess from last night, but still...”

“I get why,” Tetsuro says, and Akiteru lifts his hand to pat Tetsuro’s shoulder. "And don't worry."

“Take care of him.” The man says, flushing further, hands tapping on his thighs nervously, and Tetsuro nods. “See you around.”

Tetsuro barely mumbles out a “See ya.” Noticing that Akiteru has left the door half-open,

Well, at least it doesn’t seem like Tsukishima is completely averse to seeing him. A small, orange head peeks out of it, Tetsuro sighs and slips inside before the cat can run away. He heads down the corridor that leads to Tsukishima’s room, there’s faint music coming from the room and light spilling under the door.

Tetsuro knocks tentatively. “Did you forget something?” Tsukishima yells from the other side.

“It’s me.” Tetsuro yells back. “Kuroo.”

“I knew that,” Kei yells again. “Why are you here?”

Not gonna be easy huh? “Wanted to see how you were.” Tetsuro hollers. “I got food from that Italian place.”

There’s a moment of silence and a sigh. “Fine, come in.”

Tsukishima is laying on his bed, covers thrown to the side, face set into something between a grimace and a frown. “Oh ho,” Tetsuro says, eyeing the dinosaur print pajamas that the blond is wearing. “You don’t wear those when I come over.”

“Shut up, I haven’t done laundry.” The blond snaps back, though he shifts to the side, wincing a little, so Tetsuro can sit on the edge of the bed beside him and carefully pull out the takeout containers.

Tsukishima takes one and eats silently, thoughtful, he looks a little pale, but good in general. “Does it hurt a lot?” Tetsuro blurts out.

“It’s uncomfortable when I move.” The blond answers, lifting his shirt to show Tetsuro the stitched up wound. “No way I’m taking anything for it though, Yamaguchi says everyone knows what I did last night.” He puffs out his cheeks, and it’s too cute, Tetsuro kind of wants to lean in and kiss him, but can’t find the courage to. "I'm a trending topic on the head nurse's group chat."

After all, this past month their interactions have been either strictly friendly or more often strictly sexual and he isn’t sure the blond wants him to blur the line -besides, they definitely can’t have sex right now, Saeko-sensei would murder him, and then half murder Tsukishima, and that only because she seems to be after his brother-.

“It wasn’t that bad.” Tsukishima shoots him a withering look. “Ok it was bad, but no one takes Daishou that seriously.”

Tsukishima sighs. “I guess.” He looks up at Tetsuro, cheeks flushing. “I’m sorry I embarrassed you.”

Tetsuro puts away his container and leans back into Tsukishima’s -completely absurd amount of- pillows. “Meh, it’s fine, no one is going to take it seriously, my department has a reputation, remember?” he grins at Tsukishima in a way that he hopes is reassuring, but the blond’s frown only deepens. “It's alright, shortcake. Really, I would never be ashamed, I was actually wondering if you were…” he trails off.

“No, it’s fine.” Tsukishima grumbles. “I mean I don’t like it but most of those people don’t even know me and I don’t see them often, so it really doesn’t matter what they think.”

Relief washes over Tetsuro. “Right?” He laughs. “They can choke, they’re all jealous probably.”

Tsukishima rolls his eyes. “Of me?”

“Of me,” Tetsuro assures and meets Tsukishima’s gaze.

The blond stares at him for a long moment, eyes undecipherable. His lips fall open, and Tetsuro just _knows_. He and Tsukishima have gotten very attuned to each other in the past month, enough that it doesn’t take much for him to read the blond -something which Tetsuro is already very good at- or for Tsukishima to read him.

Even yesterday morning, when he thought the blond would absolutely not show up to the on-call room, he did, pupils blown wide, hands locking the door behind him. Tsukishima can be an icy wall, but he can also be an earthquake that knocks the floor out from under his feet.

So Tetsuro kisses him, soft and hesitant, knowing the blond wants it, but also knowing that -at least to him- it means a lot more than earlier kisses.

The blond kisses back, shaky and a bit awkward, he tries to lean over Tetsuro to place his now empty container on the nightstand, but winces before he can stretch that far. Tetsuro pulls away and tuts at him. “You have to be careful with that.” He says, taking the container from him, hand coming down to caress over the blond’s right hipbone. “If you come to the hospital with her stitches busted, Saeko-sensei will tear you a new one.” He stops to think. “Or maybe not since she has a crush on your brother, but still…”

“She what?” Tsukishima gapes at him, and then recognition dawns over his face. “So _that’s_ what that wink was.”

Tetsuro laughs. “After he arrived, we checked on you in post-op she wouldn’t stop talking about how cute and- erm-“

Tsukishima grimaces. “Do I want to know?”

“I don’t think so.” Tetsuro, laughs, Saeko-sensei is graphic at the best of times. “But she gave him her number, so, you know…”

The blond snickers. “So that was it.” He laughs more and Tetsuro smiles, it’s a nice sound. “Someone kept texting him and he kept blushing, he was even supposed to stay tonight but- oh fuck-“

And then Tetsuro is laughing too. “The devil works hard, but Saeko-sensei works harder.” He says at Tsukishima’s flustered face. “Now I see why he was in a hurry.”

Tsukishima covers his face with his hands, but he's still laughing. “Ow.” He whimpers after a while, hands flying to his stomach. “I think I pulled my stitches.”

Tetsuo leans over him, pulling back the sweater. The small incision looks just fine, slightly red and bruised around the edges but fine in general. “They’re good, but you’re really going to have to take care of yourself.” He smirks at Tsukishima. “And I can, uh, lend a hand.”

The blond huffs. “You’re going to baby me, aren’t you?”

“Hmm, probably.”

“I’m going to get fat if you do that.” Tsukishima jokes stretching back, hand reaching out for the tv remote. “I already am.”

“You could stand to eat more.” Tetsuro scoffs. “And even if that happens, my best bro is a personal trainer, he can get you back in shape.”

Tsukishima rolls his eyes. “Isn’t that the one that answered your phone asking if he could buy every flavor of Smirnoff for your birthday?”

“He’s ripped Tsukki-” Tetsuro defends, a yawn cutting him off in the middle of the sentence.

Grimacing, Tsukishima reaches out to push his bangs back. “I’m sorry you had to come with me last night when you had to do the day too.” The blond says, eyes trailing over the dark bags under Tetsuro’s eyes. “You should have just dropped me off.”

Something in his chest rebels against that statement. It was Tetsuro’s responsibility to stay because… _because…_

He doesn’t even what to think the words, though he knows what they are, what this feeling is. Last night, as he sat beside Tsukishima in the post-op bay, threading his fingers through the other’s soft hair, he felt the change, how much he just wanted the blond to be fine, his usual self and preferably not hopped up on morphine.

“It’s fine,” Tetsuro says, pressing himself just a little closer into the blond’s side. “I’m used to it.” he yawns. “I should go sleep now though.”

Tsukishima’s eyebrows shoot up. “You’re going to drive like that?” He’s clearly scrambling for an excuse, - he knows that Tetsuro often drives like _that_ , and that he usually doesn’t back down from admitting it- and his face is a little red.

There’s something in that face that assures Tetsuro that Tsukishima knows he knows this.

He shrugs. “I don’t have much of a choice. I’ll go slow, it’s not like I have to go in tomorrow.” That he knows doesn’t mean he’s going to make it easy.

There's a moment of silence and Tetsuro slowly rises from the bed.

“You could stay here,” Tsukishima blurts out, looking away, a full-blown bush on his cheeks. “I mean, I might get an urge to go lift weights at midnight or something.”

“Well, that would be _very_ bad.” Tetsuro purrs, falling back on the bed and leaning down to nuzzle at the first sliver of skin that Tsukishima’s pajama t-shirt exposes. “You might need someone here to stop you from needing emergency surgery.”

Tsukishima relaxes into the pillows, whining a little and leaning into Tetsuro’s touch. “Might be better if it’s someone with experience.”

“Someone who happens to make a very good breakfast too?” Tetsuro says against the side of his neck and Tsukishima nods.

He looks comfortable and relieved, maybe it’s better the talk Tetsuro came to have with him is pushed up to tomorrow. It’s a bit selfish but he wants to enjoy this warmer, less high strung Tsukishima for a little longer. 

Besides, Tetsuro has learned to read between the lines with him, and he knows that, at the very least, Tsukishima too, thinks there’s something here. Something more than what it has been so far.

“Hey-“ the word pulls him out of his thoughts, he pulls away from the blond’s neck.

“Hm?” he cranes his neck to the side. “Something wrong.”

Tsukishima looks down, golden eyes blinking rapidly, and shakes his head. “Lat- Nothing.”

And then he turns to press another of those soft, _different_ kisses to Tetsuro’s lips.

Later is good.

**Author's Note:**

> So, that's it, now I have even more ideas for this, but we'll see how it goes.  
> (I don't mean to insult anyone with my portrayal of the GS department, it's just that they have that sort of reputation -and generally deserve it- in about 90% of the hospitals I've worked at and well.. it does extend to the other surgical specialties tho')  
> I love to read what you all think of these little oneshots of mine, there's a lot of experimenting in them and so I really love your feedback.
> 
> Love, Kyrye


End file.
